mijas – Page 2 – Specialised Build

Fibre glass swimming pool lining and waterproofing, Malaga, Costa del Sol

We line swimming pools with gelcoat and fibreglass in most areas of the Costa del Sol, Nerja, Velez-Malaga, Torremolinos, Fuengirola, Mijas, Marbella, Estepona etc and inland areas such as Coin and Alhaurin.

The fibre glass lining of a swimming pool is a fairly quick process, resulting in a fully waterproof pool structure that will give a modern clean look, whilst being easy to maintain.

Fibreglass or polyester lining is more economical than other finishes.

The polyester is a long lasting, hard wearing surface, reducing the build up of cal and algae due to its water repellent properties. The polyester is 100% waterproof and has a certain amount of flex, making it a good product for waterproofing structurally flawed pools. It can either be left as the finished surface, or be treated to allow tiling.

It can be applied directly over painted, tiled or other finishes, as long as the substrate is reasonably smooth.

It is not necessary to change any of the fittings in the pool, thus reducing cost.

Preparation of the surfaces. The pool needs to be clean and dry when the team arrives on site. The products can not be applied over damp surfaces.

Tiled Pools – If the grout is reasonably good, the polyester can be applied directly over the existing tiles. If the grout is in very poor condition, or missing, it will need skimming with 52.2 cement.

Painted Pools – Any loose or flaking paint needs to be removed. In areas where the paint is very thick and uneven, this will need to be ground smooth.

If the pool has very square corners, these should be rounded with a sand cement mix, as it is very hard to fold the matting into the corners. This can be seen in the link below.

Application of the product.

We apply 450gms/m2 of chopped fibre matting. Approximately 1kg/m2 tixotropic resin and finish with high paraffin content gelcoat, in white. Fittings are masked.

It is possible to tile over the fibreglass (if the pool is of concrete or block construction), either immediately, or in the future as budget allows. In order to apply tiles, the final layer of gelcoat is treated to provide a bond for the tile adhesives.
Once the resins have set, the masking can be removed and the edges sealed with polyurethane.

After this, the pool needs about 3 or 4 days to dry before filling up.

We recommend that the finish is in white, as it is the most hard wearing.

Swimming pool, fibreglass lined Fuengirola, Malaga

Waterproofing using fibreglass. Polyester resin and glass fibre matt

Fibre Glass finished swimming pool. Pool structure leaking

Lining and waterproofing using fibreglass in Malaga

Lining and waterproofing using fibreglass and polyester resin in Malaga

Refinishing a pool in an atico, Marbella

Refinishing a pool in an atico penthouse, Marbella

Penthouse swimming pool renovation, Marbella

Exterior , Landscaping

Stamped concrete paving, Marbella, Mijas, Fuengirola, Estepona

Printed concrete is a highly durable and good looking way of surfacing a drive way, swimming pool surround, terrace and any other large open area.

It is quicker to install than traditional finishes such as tiles and is much harder wearing.

In this post, we share several building projects that have been finished over the years, in and around Marbella, Mijas, Fuengirola and Estepona.

Stamped concrete, installed by builders in Marbella

This was a driveway for a villa that was renovated in Marbella

Poured and stamped concrete driveway, Estepona

A long driveway down to the underground garage for a country house in Estepona

Stamped concrete around swimming pool, Mijas

This was the terrace laid around a swimming pool that we renovated near Mijas Pueblo

Printed concrete driveway, Fuengirola

Stamped concrete driveway by our builders in Sierrazuela, nr Fuengirola

Builders working with stamped concrete

Large driveway with a rustic look for a large villa in El Paraiso, nr Estepona

Wood effect stamped concrete

Wood effect stamped concrete looks great on a terrace around a swimming pool

Block pave effect stamped concrete

Patterned concrete driveway

Building new driveway

Stamped concrete terrace

Natural effect concrete

Stamped concrete has many advantages over tiling, so long as the preperation is properly done.

Contact builders costa del sol for a quote today

Exterior , Interior

Mural Painting in and around Marbella, Malaga

Mural Painting in and around Marbella, Malaga and other areas in and around the Costa del Sol

After the building works have been done, a mural can give life to an otherwise boring, small or unusable space. Plain solid colours sometimes just do not have the required impact. Other tricks can be used to make the best of an unusable space, such as mirrors, hidden lighting, but sometimes these are just not practical.

Decorative painting can be used inside, such as this superbly executed faux marble effect on a plaster fireplace. This was completed by our friend Michele Duffy in a couple of days.

Decorative painting on a fireplace in Marbella

Fireplace before painting work, Marbella

Detail of paint effects on fireplace, Marbella

This example, also by Michele Duffy, was a mural painted on a 2 storey high retaining wall at the back and side of the house. It gives much needed interest and depth to a difficult space, but without the need for caring for plants or other maintenance.

Decorative exterior Mural, Mijas

Decorative exterior mural, Marbella

Freshly built wall, Estepona

Mural painting, Estepona

Our approach to building works is to find solutions that suit the needs and budget of the clients, to create a space that is personalised to your needs.

For a quote for your building works in Marbella, Fuengirola, Mijas and Estepona, do not hesitate to contact us.

start of swimming pool construction in Estepona

Swimming Pools

Swimming pool construction and renovation, Costa del Sol

We have vast experience in the renovation and construction of swimming pools.

For new swimming pool constructions, the most time consuming thing is the paperwork. The actual construction of a concrete swimming pool takes us about 2 weeks.

The first step in the construction of the swimming pool is to retain an architect. The architect will draw up plans and submit these for approval. Once the plans have been stamped, we can move on to applying for the building license. This can take any where from a few weeks to 12 months, depending on the area.

When the paperwork is completed and approved we can break ground. We favour sprayed gunite concrete for small domestic pools. The pool form is excavated to the required dimensions, and brick shuttering is built. Once this is in place, steel reinforcing is put into place, along with the pipes and light buckets.

The concrete is then sprayed at the wall under high pressure to a depth of around 200mm

After this we cast the white marmolina swimming pool surround, render the walls and tile with glass mosaic gresite.

Exterior , Interior

Complete Villa Renovation in Coin, nr Marbella, Costa del Sol

The joy of purchasing a home on the Costa del Sol, is that you are able to put your stamp on it and make it truly personal. Renovating or reforming an existing finca or villa is a way of doing just that. It allows yo to get the finish that you want from your swimming pool area, terrace and interior living spaces.

Planning the schedule of works is the first step. We will not only discuss your immediate plans, but also your future plans to ensure that no unnecessary works are done and that no extra cost is incurred in the long term.

Part of our service can include the application for the correct licenses from the town hall (ayuntamiento), whether it be small works (obra menor) or major project (obra mayor). In general, for an obra mayor an architects project is required.

Our team of specialists includes architects, plumbers, certified electricians, tilers, painters.. we have it covered.

In this example, the project was of a huge scale, taking just under 6 months to complete. The entire home was stripped out down to bare walls and floors and then started again. This included all the electrics and plumbing. The villa was completely rewired and supplied with a new Boletin (safety certificate required by the energy company). Some of the plumbing was not good as new pipes had been added, others blocked off etc.. so leaks would probably be a problem in the future.

Each room was completely stripped out, rendered and plastered, then new high quality tiled floors put down. New windows and doors were installed.

Here are some progress photos, in later posts, we will post finished pictures and detailed descriptions of the building work involved.

Progress with interior renovation of villa

Exterior , Interior , Swimming Pools

Villa renovation Fuengirola

This is the first stages of a complete villa renovation in Fuengirola. The villa will undergo a complete reform, but the work will be carried out in stages to ease the financial burden of the project and to give the clients relief from the building works (as the clients have moved into the villa now it is habitable).

The first part of the renovation was carried out last year, renovating the interior, kitchen, bathroom, and living areas. This was all plastered and painted and is a comfortable living space.

The second part of the renovation was what can be seen here. The pool was leaking, so has been renovated using a Renolit AlkorPlan 3000 reinforced pool membrane which completely seals the structure, with a 10 year warranty. In addition some minor leaks were repaired in the pump room.

We have carried out some exterior painting with fine detail on the balustrade and replaced some doors and windows.

In the pictures you can see that work has started on the underbuild, The basement area will be made into a self contained apartment.

We can be flexible and work to our clients needs and budget.

Exterior , Interior

Electrician Costa del Sol

We have qualified electricians on hand that can rewire villas and apartments and provide the all important “boletin”, to be able to get electrical connection.

If major renovation works are done on an older property, it makes little sense to leave old cable under new finishes.

As part of the rewiring, plug sockets, lights and light switches can all be put in more convenient places. Cables and conduits can be run for existing installations and also allow for future upgrades such as air conditioning units, pool heaters, exterior lighting, automated gates. Part of our approach to building works is to think about future requirements as well, this often saves money in the long run.

Exterior , Swimming Pools

Pool transformation, pool made bigger, pool tiled and leaks repaired

We completely renovated this old leaking swimming pool. The first thing we did was diagnose the source of the leaks. We diagnosed leaks in 2 runs of plumbing, in both the skimmer pipes and the return pipe.

The bridge, which didn’t really have a purpose was removed so we could make the pool wider, as at this point it was very narrow. The pool looked even narrower once the bridge was removed. It is not normally recommended to alter the structure of a pool, but in this case it was feasible, as we were working on the shallow end of the pool, where there was less stresses involved.

Steps were built into the shallow end of the pool that also serve as a seating area, perfect for enjoying the panoramic views from this villa in Mijas.

Once the pool had been made wider and the steps had been built in, we cast a new “marmolina” pool surround. The marmolina is white concrete that is floated to give a uniform smooth surface, but still is non slip. To make the marmolina we have to build shuttering around the pool and pour the mix into it. After the shuttering comes off, we polish the edges and put expansion cuts in it.

After this the swimming pool can be tiled, grouted and cleaned ready for filling.

The plumbing is all new, for a trouble free future. When planning works to the pool, it is important to consider the future.

After all this work, the transformation was complete with a tropical turquoise tile and a beautiful new surround. This was quite an amazing transformation, taking our superb team about 2 weeks. For perspective, the pool measures 15m x 5m

Pool building and renovation works, Mijas

Complete building service, Costa del Sol

Leaking swimming pool in need of reform, Mijas

Making the swimming pool wider, Mijas

Swimming pool construction

Exterior , Landscaping

Retaining walls for gardens, swimming pools, villas, terraces etc

If your land is moving, a retaining wall is essential. In the mountainous areas at the back of Mijas, Fuengirola, Marbella and Estepona, the houses are built on quite steep slopes and a retaining wall is essential.

Our building team can advise the most appropriate solution, depending on the terrain and type of build and then construct it.

Block and steel retaining walls, reinforced concrete, gabions and stacked rocks are the most common types of retaining wall on the Costa del Sol.

Depending on the size of the project we can advise how best to proceed. Sometimes a retaining wall is not needed, banks can be stabilised by spraying with concrete.

Retaining walls are needed to prevent the land from moving. Where a slope has been excavated to provide a flat pad for building, the land will need to be stabilised both above and below the pad. The design and build of the wall has to take into account the rainfall and drainage. A poorly designed wall can act like a dam, creating a bigger problem in the future.

The block and steel wall is normally used for lower walls. It is built on a concrete foundation, from high density concrete blocks. Steel rods run vertically and horizontally through the blocks. The blocks are then filled with concrete, making a very strong wall. The blocks can either be rendered after, or decorative blocks can be used so no finishing is required.

Reinforced concrete walls. A concrete raft is poured to give a wide footprint to help support the load. On top of this, steel cages are made, shuttering is built, then it is filled with concrete. This is an immensely strong wall, supporting huge loads without moving.

Stacked rock retaining walls are designed to be used to support earth, where some movement is acceptable, for example at the edge of a plot of land, edge of the garden etc..

Gabion walls are made from rock enclosed in steel mesh cages. This creates a strong supporting structure that allows for drainage. The walls can be made to look very decorative.

Sprayed concrete is used to prevent ground slip in low risk areas. By spraying with concrete, rain is prevented from washing away embankments and other slopes.

We have contacts for drilling micro piles and piles for particularly unstable ground.

Here we have a few examples of retaining walls that we have built over the years.

Earth retaining system

sprayed concrete on embankment

stacked concrete blocks

collapsed retaining wall

slope-stabilization-feature-1

stacked boulder retaining wall

Swimming Pools

Very deep swimming pool made shallower and completely renovated

A common complaint of our customers is that their pools are too deep. This is something that can easily be rectified as part of the reform project. Very deep pools are most often found in older houses, built in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.

Making a swimming pool shallower has several benefits, in both comfort and practicality. It can be seen to be safer if the majority of people can keep their head out of the water. It is more enjoyable playing games in the pool if everyone can stand up.

The pool will warm up faster if it is shallower. Water bills will be less when the pool is filled. Running costs are less, as less volume of water to treat with chemicals. Future maintenance bills should be less with less square meters of tiles.

The process of reducing the depth is to first ensure the drain is raised up correctly, using proper fittings. Any areas where the new concrete will meet old tiles, these must be stripped back to allow the new concrete to join the old. Once this work is done, concrete can be poured to raise the level. After this sets, we can render the floor to make the appropriate levels.

Once all the levels are correct in the base of the pool, the entire structure is skimmed with render to provide a uniform surface for the new tiles.

The pool is tiled using adhesives especially for swimming pools. These adhesives have additives in them that allow them to stay under water without breaking down and cope with chemicals.

The final stage is to grout the tiles and install new cosmetic pieces where needed. The entire renovation normally takes about a week for a team of our builders.